As-Safar Ukhwah presents donations to Kelantan flood victims

KATAKIJAU Humanitarian Relief Support Group recently stretched its helping hand by travelling to Kelantan, Malaysia, for its project – As-Safar Ukhwah – to help students who have been affected by floods that occurred in late December last year.

The team consisted of four executive committee members of KatakIjau – Rozan bin Haji Kaderi, President of KatakIjau; Hajah Rossita binti Ajak, Secretary-General; Mohamad Shafie bin Othman, Assistant Secretary General; Rashdan bin Hashim, head of Sponsorship and Marketing; and a member of the organisation, Samliwati binti Haji Abg Damit.

The team, which departed the Sultanate for Kelantan on February 12, visited a number of schools to handover the donations in the form of school essentials to a total of 179 students from Sekolah Kebangsaan Bendang Pa’Yong, Tumpat, Kelantan.

The As-Safar Ukhwah is one of the ongoing projects under the KatakIjau School Assistance Fund. The donations for this project were collected from the charity expo ‘Back To School’ project organised by KatakIjau last year.

KatakIjau allocated $10,000 to help the students of less fortunate families buy their school essentials. The fund was also channelled for another project, As-Safar Ukhwah, to provide assistance for students in Kelantan to ease their burden for school preparations.

KatakIjau Humanitarian Relief Support Group President, Rozan bin Haji Kaderi, handing over school essentials to one of the recipients

KatakIjau Humanitarian Relief Support Group in a group photo. PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR

The presentation of donations was held on February 14 and attended by the school headmaster, Encik Mohd Zaidi bin Darin.

Among the recipients who received the donations were Siti Nasuha binti Anuar and Md Shahrul Ramadhan bin Md Fakri. Both their fathers are self-employed and their mothers are housewives. They explained that during the disaster, all their preparations for school were swept away by floods, leaving nothing.

They also shared that in their three weeks of experiencing all the obstacles caused by the floods, they stayed at relief centres and waited for the flood water to recede before they were able to rebuild their lives again.

While in Kelantan, members of KatakIjau were also brought to have a closer look at some of the affected areas, particularly in Manek Urai and Gua Musang district, in which traces of debris can still be seen.

The project, which is the first of its kind to be organised abroad, has received cooperation from various parties, including local businessmen and JiDaoGe (Chinese Charity Association), who sponsored woven bags for the project.

The members returned to Brunei yesterday and expressed their happiness over the success of the project.